Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-04-14
NOT LOBBYISTS.


of the Knights of Labor Convention IN
Session at Harrisburg, Pa.-They Are
Neither Lobbyists. Anarchists or the
Friends of Anarchy.
PITTSBURGH, Pa. April 8. The Times
special from Harrisburg says: The
Knights of Labor convention organized
this afternoon by electing General Treas
urer Turner chairman, and &. ID. FAINTER,
of Column bia, secretary. The purport OF
the gathering is best explained in two
speeches which Grand Master Workman
Powderly made-one before the conven-
ton and another this evening in the hall
of the House of Representatives. There
We're about $50 delegates, comprising
fine body of men. After organization
there was secret SESSION
in which seven committees were
appointed to which will be referred the
. various bills to be considered by the con-
vention. The names of the men who
compose these committees it was decided
to keep secret for reasons best known TO
Mr.. Powderly, but there was no obJectlon
to making public the purposes for which
the committees were named. They VII
examine bills relating to the bituminous
and anthracite coal mines and iron min
ing industries, slate mining and agrl-
culture and lumber, oil and oil production
and miscellaneous subjects.
All the convention did besides routine
work was to administer the oath OF
| secrecy to official stenographer James F.
Burke, of Pitts burgh, and to listen to Mr.
| Powderly. His speech before the conven-
| ton and his speech in the evening were
| Identical About $50 men and women
| greeted him with hearty applause when
he entered the house. Representative
F! Caffrey introduced him, whereupon Mr..
! Powderly said:
TT iS with feeling rride that address q
| meeting gathered in the House of Representa-
| tives of my native State, on the question OF
| labor, not only as it relates to worklngmen
| but in a broader sense, it relates to all. L
feel it my duty therefore, to speak in regard to
the convention here. 1 called it to bring our
| organization together through their represen-
tatives, to meet with the chosen representatives
| of the people. regardless of party, to confer
| with them measures to benefit our State
! We are charged with being lobbyists-a labor
| lobby. IMr. Powderly here referred to
| an editorial in Philadelphia PAGER, which
! makes that CHARGE LOBBYISTS were here be-
| fore us aud will be here when we are gone.
! but we are not here lobbyists. We came
here to say to the representatives of the COM
monwealth such and such measure is good
others are not
Before every election candidates ask the
working people to vote for them. They say do
and so and will render an equivalent
Having made this promise we certainly have
right to see if that promise has been fulfil ed
I have frequently been asked If such
and such bill is good
measure. AS knew nothing about the bills,
generally sent them to the secretary
of the assembly in the locality where the in
quiry came from. In one instance I received
the reply that such a bill had ever been
seen there The title had been cut off the orig
inal one sent to Harrisburg and another substi-
tuted. We made up our minds that as we rep
resent good portion of the commonwealth we
had a right to see if pledges made had been full
filled. There is nothing IN this that is wrong
nothing of the lobbyist We have no bride, no
fnducement to offer. We give you our reasons
why we ask you to vote for this that meas
ure, and leave the rest to yourself when you
come home and find you voted the wrong way.
We have the right to vote for the other fe low.
Laughter and applause.] That's the Amerl-
can idea. More laughter and applause.l
We are charged with being Anarchists and
favoring measures that tend to Anarchy. AS
chief of our organization, can say that moth
ing of anarchy finds an abiding place in our
midst, but monopolists want to make people
believe the contrary. No matter what errors
we have committed in the past, we have al
ways aimed at doing right We have pursued
line Of policy and found out things that are
right and wrong. but we always keep clear of
one thing that brings odium on our country
anarchy.
In his afternoon speech, Mr.. Powderly
rejoiced in the defeat of the Anarchists
candidate in Chicago. The applause that
greeted this assertion was deafening. 1t
found an echo in every heart. Continu-
ing, Mr.. Powderly said:
Is it not more honorable to come here like
men and confer with our representatives to
what ought to be done, and go away and say
we have rather aided than retarded work.
was proud to meet the delegation that came
here to-day. It was larger than 1 expected. I
saw in that delegation a sign of hope. Not a
man was under the influence of liquor. spoke
to many, and all told me that they neither
tasted. touched nor handled liquor. OF all our
officers not one touches tastes handles that
which degrades the body and damns the soul
, liquor.
Among the bills to be presented to the
convention is one drawn up by Ben Butler
Assembly No. $685. of Stoneboro, Mercer
County, and which has been sent to Mr.
Hall, of Mercer, with the request that he
introduce it, This measure is in many
respects a most radical one and if made
law, would revolutionize things consid-
erabIy. It compels semi-monthly pay
ments, under the following provisions.
Section one enacts that every person,
firm or corporation employing any one
3for the profit, pleasure or any other
qualification of such perso on, firm or cor
poration'' shall only be liable for the pay
ment of the amount of wages due for
twelve days, or less labor and that the
absolve such employing person, firm or
corporation for all further responsibility
for wages due previous to the date of
such payment.
The second section provides that the
amount collectable under the first section
shall be collectable from any property or
source of income of the employers, and
shall be lien upon the products of the
work or service wherever found within
the limits of the commonwealth, the lien
to be IN force until the claim is paid in
full, the cost in the proceedings to be
borne by the commonwealth.
The bill also provides that employers
shall be responsible for all personal in
jury or financial loss incurred by any en-
ploye while in the performance of his
duty, except when such injury or loss is
caused by the negligence If the employee,
ignorance on the part the employee
not to be adjudged as negligence.
Foul Play Suspected.
LANCASTER, Pa, April "Wednesday
morning George Welsh, a dealer in rags,